January 1, 2007

It’s New Year, but not for everyone

Jan. One is celebrated the world over as New Year, but the celebrations are held at different times of the calendar year by people of varied faiths and nationalities. A greetings card I got from a couple in Houston, Revathi and Raj Nataraj, highlights the point to convey their greetings of peace and well-being to everyone, be they Muslims or Buddhist, Jews or Jains, Chinese or Moroccan, whenever they celebrate New Year.

While Egyptians celebrate Sekhmet in January, Persian’s Naruz falls in March. The Sikhs and Hindus have it in April – Baisakhi. New year comes in May to the Buddhists. Bolivia’s Machaj Mara is scheduled in June. And July is the month for the Armenian New Year. Zoroastrian Shenshare falls in August, the Jewish Rash Hashamah, in September.

October is when Moroccans have their New year. The Jains celebrate it in November. December is the month for Sikkimese Losoong. The year that starts on January 1 is Gregorian. We can run through the year’s calendar, greeting some people, in some parts of the world a New Year of peace, hope and globalised progress.

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